Blue White Illustrated

January 2023

Penn State Sports Magazine

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 2 9 As was the case with many members of this year's senior class, Brown did not shine immediately after arriving in State College. Before long, though, he became an important presence on and off the field. Heading into Penn State's Rose Bowl matchup against Utah, Brown had made 145 stops and recorded 9 interceptions as a Nittany Lion. He followed in the footsteps of another Lackawanna safety, Jaquan Brisker, by being named a team captain ahead of his final season. He said he was prouder of that honor than any of the stats he amassed in his Nit- tany Lion career. "I'm just trying to leave my legacy on Penn State, on the coaching staff, and hopefully inspire some of the younger guys under me to work hard, to build character, and just do everything I did, but do it better," he said, "so that we keep this thing going with Penn State." A True Student-Athlete Like Brown, quarterback Sean Clif- ford has embodied the seniors' deter- mination to win. He's been a Penn State player for six years and a starter for four, and throughout that tenure, he's left it all on the field. He's taken countless hits to make plays, gotten up after a huge sack and made a huge throw, and done more to drive the offense, especially in 2022, than he will likely ever get credit for. As the centerpiece of an offense that has endured its ups and downs in re- cent years, he has the most complicated legacy of any member of this year's graduating class. He's a four-year cap- tain with a 31-14 record as a starter and numerous program records, including the mark for most career passing yards with 10,382. History figures to be kinder to Clif- ford than the present moment has been. Many fans loved to hate and hated to love the veteran starter, seizing on his 2-6 combined record against Ohio State and Michigan. He's embodied everything anyone could want in a Penn State student- athlete, though, and he's taken the high road at every turn, declining to fire back at his critics while lauding those who have helped him along the way. "I can't thank Penn State enough," he said after leading the Lions past Michi- gan State 35-16 in his final game in Bea- ver Stadium. "Starting with the presi- dent all the way down to the janitors in the Lasch Building. Everybody is always showing me love. People are always go- ing to be critical, but that's because this place is so special, and they demand ex- cellence. They should demand the best and want to win every game, because that is what this program deserves. "I wouldn't give up the memories I've had for anything. I've definitely grown substantially as a football player but more so as a man," he continued. "That's not because of anything I've done, but because of the people that surrounded me and poured energy, compassion and love into me to get me where I'm at. "The journey is going to be difficult and tough for everybody. It's [a matter of] reminding yourself about the little things every single day. Remind yourself in the moment why you love what you do. Being out in Beaver Stadium … I'm living my dream. Whatever you're do- ing, take a couple of seconds to realize how blessed we are." Comeback Kid Another player who embodies the class's determination is PJ Mustipher. As jovial as he is large, the 6-foot-4, 318-pound defensive tackle is a two- time team captain and three-time All- Big Ten honoree. Mustipher returned to the field less than a year after suffering a major knee injury at Iowa midway through the 2021 season. A lot of players might have struggled to overcome the difficult sur- gery and grueling rehab to get back on the field that quickly, but Mustipher persevered. He performed at a high level despite enduring a tough start to the year as he got used to playing on a re- paired knee. The physical pain he was going through never caused his leadership to waver. Throughout the fall, head coach James Franklin talked about how much

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